Boğaziçi Jazz Choir-Arizona Chorus Concert
The proud representative of Turkey in several prestigious platforms around the world, the 'World Champion' Boğaziçi Jazz Choir now hosts two amazing choirs from Arizona at Prof. Dr. Cemil Bilsel Conference Hall on June 7, 2014.
The Northern Arizona Shrine of the Ages Choir and Master Chorale of Flagstaff, conducted by Dr. Edith Copley, meet with the Boğaziçi Jazz Choir on the 7 June in Istanbul.
The outstanding ensembles from the Grand Canyon State together with a huge choir of 120 will be performing traditional works by Ravel and Bruckner and exciting contemporary choral music on Saturday the 7 June at 8 pm in the Prof. Dr. Cemil Bilsel Concert Hall at Istanbul University.
The Jazz Choir members, who have been active from 2007 to 2011, conducted by Masis Aram Gözbek, working within Boğaziçi University Music Club (BUMC) participated in World Choir Championships held in Graz, as 'Boğaziçi Jazz Choir', winning two 'World Champion' and one second prizes, parted ways with Boğaziçi University as from June 2011, while the 'mini subway concert' was taking a considerable place in Turkey's agenda. Boğaziçi Jazz Choir, moves on independent from the BUMC Jazz Choir 2012 members, which have been working with a complete different conductor and as complete different members since this October.
Based in Istanbul, the choir has a very wide range of repertoire from contemporary music to jazz and also folk music with its 40 singers from different parts of Turkey. The choir’s achievements with Masis Aram Gözbek as the conductor, since 2007 are as follows:
- The choir was announced to have won the first prize the International Istanbul Jazz Festival, Young Jazz Evaluation Concert and had the opportunity to attend the festival in 2008, 2009 and 2011. At the same time, they also appeared at the Akbank 18th Jazz Festival in 2008 and in Eskişehir Amateur Jazz Musicians Festival in 2009.
- They won the ‘Silver Diplom’ both in jazz and pop categories at the world’s most prestigious a cappella contest, 8th Vokal Total, held in Graz, Austria in 2008.
- They returned back to Turkey with one second prize in ‘contemporary music’ category, third prizes both in 'mixed chamber choirs' and 'jazz' categories and three golden diploms from the 6th WORLD CHOIR GAMES held in China, between 15-26 July, 2010, which happens to be the biggest and the most prestigious choral music activity with approximately 40.000 participants, over 400 choirs from 90 countries.
- In June 2011, they made themselves heard by the sponsors with the mini clip they recorded in the subway, also making themselves noticed both by local and foreign press and the social media. ‘Metroda mini konser’, was also shared later in different titles and was viewed about 10.000.000 times.
- At the World Choir Championships held in Graz, Austria, between 10th-17th July 2011, they succeeded as the 'WORLD CHAMPION' in Contemporary Music and Folklore categories and also got the 'second prize' in Mixed Choirs category. They also competed in the ‘Grand Prix of Choral Music’ and won two other gold medals, collecting a total of 5 gold medals to take back home.
- They were ranked as 1st in 'Folklore' and 13th in 'World Rankings' by INTERKULTUR.
- In June 2012, the choir was invited to one of the most prestigious choir festivals 'La Fabbrica del Canto', held in Italy.
- They also won 3 gold medals in the 7th WORLD CHOIR GAMES in the USA, and one more gold in the Cantemus International Choir Festival in Hungary.
- Finally, with the pieces 'Çapulcu Musun Vay Vay' and 'Çapulcular Oldu Mu' which they arranged for Gezi Park protests, the choir gained a big attraction not only in Turkey, but also on the international stage. The performance videos were viewed about 10.000.000 times in a very short time.